Warkurafto: Arthas no Sensou
by Shurpuff
Summary: Or Warcraft envisioned as a Japanese anime/game. Naturally contains accidental harems, fanservice, stunted male-to-female ratio, a fix-it scenario, sudden genderbenders, attacks in weird [brackets], chuuni fights, Frostmourne-chan and liberal doses of crack. Not completely serious.
1. Arc 1: Blackrockandroll1

**Shurpuff says: So awhile ago, I lost a bet. I bet that a Justice League movie would be released way before a Warcraft movie. Now we're weeks from the latter's release, and the winner's waiting impatiently for me to cough up. Damnit, Warner Bros.**

 **She didn't specify that this story would be a masterpiece, just that I write one, then publish it to . So, here is my attempt:**

 **To turn Arthas into the protagonist of every Japanese fantasy anime, light novel, manga, or video game that ever was, and possibly will be. Oh, and naturally it's a harem. But no game-like mechanics, which is somehow the vogue these days. I'm playing "loosely" with the elements, so no strict adherence to canon, nor trope-calling.**

 **Therefore the story's not entirely serious, and neither is the prose. Just read along if you can stomach it, and comment or rebuke at the end. Or not.**

 **So here we go. See you beyond the line break.**

* * *

 _"... When I was born, the very forests of Lordaeron whispered the name... Arthas._

 _"... is what my father keeps on saying. But mother once told me something different. She said that it was the women who screamed my name, when I was presented to the crowd for the first time."_

Enter our protagonist: Arthas Menethil. Crown Prince of Lordaeron, and one of the most pivotal figures in the history of Azeroth. In another time he'd be a tragic figure, in more ways than one. But that's some other time, some other place. Here his destiny is yet to be fulfilled, and we're going to watch it unfold. Like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Trainwrecks aside, our boy Arthas's face is nothing but. He's handsome, he's blond like his daddy, he's a lover and a fighter, like every human in Azeroth is supposed to be.

We're totally skipping his childhood phase, because the story's gonna grind out slow otherwise. Anything interesting that happened then shall be revisited through

 **(Flashbacks).**

So you'll know it's something that happened, y'know, before. Because I say

 **(Flashbacks).**

And when the flashback ends, it'll say

 **(Flashback ends).**

Now, that whole description of hot Arthas is technically a flash _forward_. If you'll recall "canon" Arthas, he's that long-haired dude appearing in at least _two_ Warcraft 3 covers. So he's not _that_ long-haired here, because a.) it'll make him look like a girl, and b.) it'll overlap with a lot of characters to be introduced later on.

And c.) remember, this is supposed to be a story dreamed up by a Japanese author, or at least by whoever artist decides to interpret their work. If he's not going to be a plain-ass looking dude with black hair and forgettable face; if he's going to be _blond_ , then he'll at least have short, spiky hair. Like Naruto. Or Cloud Strife.

With that said-

Wait, sorry what? He's not?

Ah, understood.

Well, sorry about that, dear readers. Just had a sudden, rather unexplained flash of inspiration. It seems "our" Arthas'll still look like rockstar Arthas. a.) he'll look like a girl, so it's funny, b.) it'll overlap with certain future characters, which will be funny, and c.) let's just say this particular Japanese artist designing "our" Arthas tries to break the mold of protagonists.

So. Again, with that said, have a prologue.

" _Silvermoon, bastion of the High Elves._

 _The undead armies of the Lich King have swept through the kingdoms of the Alliance like a scythe through wheat. Their numbers rise with every human that falls._

 _At its head is a dread figure, a warrior of peerless skill and merciless power. A Death Knight, the Lich King's champion._

 _Inside the elven city, the last remnants of the Alliance gather. A force of elves, dwarves and humans prepare for what may be their last stand._

 _Elves are masters of the arcane arts. Within one of their most guarded sanctums, several figures prepare a spell that might bring the tide around._

 _Boom. Boom._

 _The cowled human looks up, startled by the sounds. "They've come," it says._

 _"The defenders at the gate cannot last long," says a slender elf. "You must complete the circuit,_ now, _or all is lost."_

 _"Patience, Sylvie," says a short figure, a robed dwarf. "It takes a lot of time to wind up the holy energies from the Nether. As always, let us trust in the light."_

 _"Damn your light," says the elf. "It did not help then—it did not help_ him _."_

 _A wave of depression passes through the room. Each figure's shoulders droop, even the elf's, as they recall something sad from the past._

 _"Now, now," says another human, clad in green. "I have every confidence we can complete the spell before they can even breach the gates!" This one's voice is confident._

 _"That is true," says a lilting voice, coming as if from thin air. "You would have succeeded, had we not already pierced the veil surrounding this city."_

 _"!"_

 _Every single figure whirls to the entrance, where another robed figure stands. And standing right behind him, is a figure unmistakable in form and menace—the Death Knight._

 _"How is this possible?" one of them cries._

 _"Grgh! We must have taxed the ley lines too much!" says another._

 _The elf says nothing, prepares an arrow to shoot._

 _"You have done well," says the armored figure. He steps forward, swinging the ice-blue sword to lay on his shoulder. "To resist to the very end. Unfortunately, all of it ends... now." He raises a hand, as if begging alms. "I shall say it again, everyone. Please end this futile resistance. Let us join together again, that we may rid this world of the evils that plague it. Join me now, and I shall spare Silvermoon from the plague. I can do this—the Dreadlords only care for the Sunwell."_

 _None of the others say anything for a few moments, before- "In that case," says the first human, "We shall also extend another plea. Please stop this foolish crusade. Abandon this quest, please, and let us give the dead their rest. I know we can accomplish a lot—we can defeat the Lich King,_ and _these demons. Do not taint your blade, your_ soul _anymore..._

 _"Arthas."_

 _The armored figure lowers his hand. "...I see. It seems we are once again at an impasse. He turns to the robed figure beside him. "Kel, return to the front. Have the meat wagons begin the barrage."_

 _"And leave you alone, milord?"_

 _"I can take care of myself, lich."_

 _"As you wish."_

 _"As if we'd let you!" roars the elf. She looses an arrow, which just passes through the one named, Kel, like she were a mirage._

 _"Such a shame, Sylvie," says Kel mockingly. She disappears._

 _"It pains me to have do this, everyone," says the one named Arthas. He raises the sword. "But perhaps Frostmourne can help change your minds."_

 _"You'll kill us, Arthas?" asks the greenclad one._

 _"I don't know why I ever liked ye, fallen one," says the dwarf. She nonetheless raises her staff. "But perhaps I can remedy your disgrace now."_

 _"Arthas," says the robed figure. It looks to be in tears. "Please..."_

 _"I'm sorry, Jaina," says Arthas. He raises his sword._

Elsewhere, a boy named Arthas wakes, screaming.

The nightmare had been so vivid, though its details fade, as the seconds pass.

He only really remembers the one who had been named like him, the one named Arthas, who is really scary.

Each night, he fervently hopes never to see his face again. Each night, he does.

Why does he dream of that man? he wonders.

The boy lies back in bed, shivering. It takes a long while for him to go back to sleep.

 **(Flashback ends).**

Oooh... quite ominous right? Now have an intro monologue. Onward to part one!

"The First War. A time of blood and thunder, when my people endured the ravages of the orcish hordes.

"The Second War. A time of valor and steel. When my father held the line, and the Alliance broke the Horde—forever.

"Years have passed, and our realms are in peace. Together with the dwarves of Ironforge, the elves of Silvermoon, and the mages of Dalaran, we have ensured it.

"But there is a strange unrest in my heart. My father's hair grows whiter with each day, and with it grows my duties. I know of war, of the Light, of statecraft. And yet I fear I do not know of kingship. A paladin I may be now, but I know I cannot just lead my people by the heft of my hammer. I must be strong, just and wise. But I do not know if I am all three yet, or even one of these, at all."

So that's basic stuff: the insecure MC, narrating major events that came before, as well as showing Arthas' precious concerns about his impending responsibilities.

We cut to a monastery somewhere. Maybe it's that place which the Scarlet Crusade invaded later on. Arthas gazes down at the forest of Tirisfal through a window in his private tower.

The door opens behind him. Arthas turns, and sees his mentor: one of the greatest heroes of the Alliance, Uther the Lightbringer.

Uther looks like something herculean sculpted of an old, wrinkled tree. He's got an overwhelming presence, seeming like he could shoot lightbeams from the gaps between his beard-hairs. He looks sorta like "canon" Uther, except really, really buffer, eyes a bit squintier, dressed in paladin blue and bearing a pimp libram hanging off his waist by a chain.

Arthas salutes. "Sir Uther."

"Enough with the pleasantries, lad," says Uther. "It seems the King intends for you to learn to the capital. You shall need to be riding off soon."

"Father?" asks Arthas. "What can he want of me?"

"Is it not obvious, m'boy?" Uther says, guffawing. "You must be ready to take up the crown and scepter!"

Arthas smirks, like he's sharing a private joke with the Lightbringer, whose laughing face actually looks real nice, breaking the tension from his previous appearance.

"I doubt it, Uther," Arthas says. "Father's still got a few more years left, just you watch."

So Arthas rides down on his trusty steed Invincible (who isn't dead, nor the sonovabitch what hasn't dropped, screw you drop chance), down the pleasant, foresty road (that isn't dark and forbidding yet), towards Lordaeron (which isn't sewer city, yet). If this were a game, he'd be having a tutorial about riding a mount or something; otherwise, Arthas explains more about the kingdom of Lordaeron.

When he arrives, a crowd of people, most of them peasants, half of them women, cheer and scream his name. He takes it all in stride, as he's done many times before. But again, he's got his little doubts, so he monologues just a bit about that.

It turns out that the King's got a special "quest" for his son.

"This shall be your final test," he is told, Terenas seemingly becoming less of a father and more of a sensei dictating the student's last test, "We've had reports of orcs around the area of Strahnbrad. You are to root them out of course—but you also need to glean from them the whereabouts of the rest of their kind. I fear Strahnbrad will be but the first of many _scourges_ if we do not root them all out where they grow. Can you do this?"

Arthas knows he is being given this because he's always been headstrong as a commander. He gets the job done, but always using overwhelming force and not with cunning. More a hammer than a stiletto. Like almost all protagonists, unless you were a schemer type, like say Lelouch Lamperouge, or Naoe Yamato.

"I shall not fail you, father," he says.

(As an aside, daddy looks fairly old enough to croak. Remember that CG scene from Reign of Chaos? Yeah, that old.)

Arthas sets to gathering a troop of men, small in number, because they're more an escort, and also because he'd been informed that Uther and a number of paladins from his order have already gone ahead to take command of the defense of Strahnbrad.

We are introduced to Arthas' most trusted lieutenants, Captains Falric and Marwyn. They shall henceforth be side comedy pair number one, and are otherwise static background characters who probably won't ever be plot relevant.

Falric is a big, burly man, stoic in nature—though he eats a whale's portion. Marwyn is a bit less muscular, making up for it with agility and a glib tongue. Together they can be counted upon to: comically fall for enemy traps, chase after mysterious women in the wilds, or get cursed by touching an ancient artifact. Their plot armor is thick enough to always make them come back from each experience with no adverse effects.

On the way to Strahnbrad, they stop by a small village. We shall call it First Light. Because it's quite imaginative. It's night-time, so they have to encamp here. The villagers are naturally all too pleased to host the prince.

Talking to the village mayor, we learn of 1.) rumors of plague in the north, 2.) rumors of an orcish exodus to the south, and 3.) fears of a warlock in the vicinity.

Zing! Number three gets Arthas curious. When asked to elaborate, the mayor says that just yesterday, some men had come back from the forest with claims of sorcery being performed there.

"As thanks for your hospitality, I shall assist you in this matter!" Arthas declares.

"You are very kind, milord," the mayor gushes.

Arthas takes a group of men, including our sidekick duo, to investigate. Soon they come to a clearing, and Arthas spots magical lights in the distance.

Arthas rushes forward eagerly, but then is beset by a wave of frost. He senses strong magic pulsing in front of him. He calls on the Light to form a shield, which successfully blocks the frostbolt.

He runs again, and then trips over _something_. That _something_ utters a muted "Kya!"

Confused, Arthas holds his hammer up and calls on the Light to turn it into a torch. He sees a cowled figure lying face down on the ground. It groans, and flips around to reveal:

The first girl.

"Jaina?"

"Urgh... Wha—Arthas?"

"Wha—what are you doing here?" he asks, helping the girl up.

"Mmmm... I was working on a project when I heard some noises behind me... was that you, Arthas...?"

"Yes. We were investigating rumors of sorcery from First Light. Was that all just you?" He smirks. "What kind of project gets you all the way out here anyway?"

"Hush," Jaina says. "...It's a secret."

First girl get!

Arthas now considers this woman. Jaina Proudmoore is technically the Lady Proudmoore of Kul Tiras, the nation not ruled by a King but by an Admiral. As a child, she'd come to be fostered at Lordaeron while representatives from Silvermoon came to the castle to test her magical aptitude. He'd met her then, and had become friends, though their relationship was... unique, as was the girl herself.

She is ostensibly shy, though Arthas knows that was just because she liked to think. She liked to think a lot. That makes her speech come all indistinct, sometimes even hard to hear, and _riddled_ with ellipsis. Fans will hate or love the character quirk.

She also does this thing where she pulls her cowl over her forehead when she's embarrassed by something Arthas says or does.

Like right now.

"Well, you sure look beautiful, Jaina. I almost didn't recognize you for a moment."

"Heh? Um... Er..." Jaina bows, pulls the cowl over her head. "Th—Thank you... You look good, as well," Jaina certainly has blossomed, Arthas thinks, from the girl he'd known.

While she's not an avatar of sexuality as Blizzard's artists would have us think most girls are, she is drawn to be beautiful and curvy, her cowl giving her a bit of a mystique. Remember we are doing this from the perspective of a Japanese company/artist writing for a potential fanbase, a portion of which demands the desires of hot-blooded males of any age be sated.

Her cowled form is her distinctive silhouette, separating her from the rest of the characters to come. Every picture of her has her with cowl down. And when she lets the hood down: whoa! It's like she's a completely different person. And she only lets it down when she's "serious".

But make no mistake—this young lady's got a mean magical punch! The mages of Dalaran thought of her as a prodigy after all, as proved in this

 **(Flashback)**

"... Im... Impossible," the elf says.

"Mmmph... The scale is still climbing," Antonidas remarks.

The child's hand is still on the crystal, and the surging force within the chamber only grows.

"Mayhap we can stop the experiment now?" cries a random person—well, this might actually be Jaina's maid or something.

"I—I can't..." Jaina says, tears in her eyes. "I... can't stop...!"

"What?" They all cry.

"The crystal is fusing with her magic!" cries another elf, whose features are distinctive and has long hair and despite the situation is gazing at the human child like she's a prime rib.

"Jaina!" Our young MC, Arthas, shouts. "That's enough!" Though he's still a kid, he braves the power surging through the floor and places a hand on Jaina's shoulder. At his touch she flinches, and she lets go of the crystal. The whirlpool of energy fades, and she collapses, unconscious into Arthas' arms.

"That was... quite an experience," Antonidas remarks. "No doubt about it, the Lord Admiral shall be pleased to hear his child has much potential!"

( **Flashback ends)**

As we can see, Arthas and Jaina are about as close buddies as childhood friends can be. It remains to be seen if it'll blossom to something more. After all, we still don't know Jaina's perspective, but we can easily tell how she feels from the way she interacts with Arthas right? Right?

We hear present day Jaina explain to Arthas that she was actually about to meet with him at the capital. Apparently some crazy loon managed to upset the leading council members of Dalaran, and she was sent to investigate.

Then, along the way, she got curious about some irrelevant thing, and tested her hypothesis in this very spot. Apparently she lost track of the time, until just a few minutes ago when she felt the presence of people whom she first assumed to be bandits.

Arthas laughs. "That's just like you," he says. He pats her on the shoulder, making her blush (he doesn't notice, obviously). "Quite fortuitous then, that we meet. I am headed for Strahnbrad, to solve the orc problems there. Perhaps you can stay at Hearthglen while I sort that out."

"I... shall accompany you," says Jaina quietly. (Her voice is firm, mention that Arthas can't really see her expression through the cowl)

"There shall be a battle, Jaina," Arthas says seriously. (he is concerned)

"I can handle myself," she replies confidently, and with a gesture, she freezes Falric and Marwyn inside a solid chunk of ice.

For a moment, Arthas looks like he'll argue more, but he relents. "Hah! It seems you can."

They head back to First Light, where they tell the mayor that all is well. There is... actually not much celebration since times are hard, but they are given a share of food for supper.

While at camp, Arthas once more observes Jaina's quirky behavior, while also learning new ones. For instance, she's now got the tendency to just stare at nothing for minutes on end without responding to anyone, or that her skill in magic has grown that she can conjure elemental familiars without a sweat.

Jaina catches him looking, and asks, "...What?"

"Nothing," he says, averting his eyes.

Early the next day, they break camp to continue their march for Strahnbrad. Along the way, Jaina and Arthas discuss the matter of the orcs. Arthas is not too fond of the "creatures", but he does express some sympathy when Jaina expresses the abuse the orcs endure at the internment camps.

Just a little bit of background infodumping regarding the First and Second War, along with each person's respective views about orcs. Surely the readers already know much of the details; we ain't changing the settings that much. Now Jaina's got some sympathy for the orcs' plight, being a gentle soul; while Arthas cannot bring himself to care for those that would have enslaved them, had they won.

Their banter is cut short when Marwyn shouts, "Fire, in the distance!"

And indeed, there is a great plume of smoke emerging from the distance. In that instant, Arthas can feel his insides turn to ice. That way lay Strahnbrad.

Strahnbrad burned.

* * *

 **Shurpuff: More to come.**


	2. Arc 1: Blackrockandroll2

Obviously, Arthas doesn't waste time.

"To arms, men!" He roars, Invincible charging forward at the head of the column. They hoof it to the burning place, from where they can already hear the sounds of battle and desperate human screams.

They see the first orc come in view, hefting his axe to meet Arthas' charge. His anger flares, and he bears down mercilessly on the beast.

Bzzt! Let's stop time for a minute.

Look at that orc. There's something different about it?

Yes, there is.

While last chapter we assumed we weren't changing the setting "that" much, we _are_ going to have some changes about certain elements. For instance, the orcs.

Now, from the perspective of the Japanese creator, orcs are a stereotypical evil race. If they aren't low to mid-level grunts in an RPG or firing dakkas at puny humies; they also fulfill certain niche fantasies in numerous R18+ doujins. The appeal of the brutish orc (or orcs, plural) ravaging a helpless maiden (or even a brave warrior) can push a lot of buttons.

Now from the perspective of Arthas here, certainly orcs are just that, barbarians. But our Japanese creator wants to diverge from the mold. He wants to tackle issues in his work, make it appeal to the social consciousness.

He wants a spin-off!

Therefore the orcs are not Blizzard's hulking beefcakes with a persistent hunchback, but properly upright and humanlike in physique and size. True, their muscles bulge and they're half-naked most of the time, but so are some of the humans under their armor. Arthas is a meaty hunk, for example.

They look almost like humans, mind, but for two things. Their distinctive canines that jut out from their lower jaws, and the fact that their skin is colored green.

(Naturally green's just a side-effect of fel energies yadayadayada...)

"But sensei, how had the orcs conquered much in the past if they're really just "barbaric" humans running around half-naked?"

That's due to a lot of reasons, which will be revealed later—especially in the spin-off! (wink wink) For now, the orcs are certainly Arthas' enemies.

Oh, and before I continue, the female orcs, while also green, are also drawn to be kind of sexy, well sexi _er_ than the World of Warcraft version. They almost look like green humans, with the exception of course of their constant near-nakedness, and most of their hairstyles are in dreadlocks or mohawks. The artist somehow makes them "hot" still. So much so that their appearance approaches that mysterious "suggoi" line that inflames the minds of doujin artists to make monster girl stuff. Though orcs here aren't technically "monster"-kind anymore.

I digress. Let's continue where time stopped.

Crash! Arthas slays the orc mercilessly, and does not stop. Parts of the city are indeed burning, and he can spot wolf-riders running around in the town square. He begins a hurried sweep, and Jaina is especially effective at sniping orcs from afar with her frostbolts.

Suddenly, Arthas can sense something big hurtling through the air. It's got the whooshing sound just like artillery. Before it can hit, he pushes Jaina aside and throws a barrier of light over the both of them. The artillery hits close, very close, shrapnel flying everywhere. The Light protected them, but some of his men aren't so lucky.

Jaina gasps. She's started breathing hard. Arthas notices, asks her to teleport out. She says she can't, it requires a lot of concentration, and she can't really concentrate that well now. He nods, then tells her to stick close. Now that they're in battle, he can't just have his men escort her out.

Jaina grips her staff harder. "Don't worry. I'm not going to drag you down." To prove that, she casts a spell that extinguishes the fire from the nearest house.

Arthas heads for the source of the bombardment: a couple of catapults outside the city, guarded by orcs. Burning with Retribution (not the talent tree), he cleaves his way through the escort and slays the orcs manning the catapult.

The battle is over, though the city still burns. Arthas hastily has his men begin the effort of carrying water from the wells to contain the flames, while Jaina uses up much of her mana to cast cooling spells repeatedly.

After the fires have died out, they discover that the majority of Strahnbrad's people had barricaded themselves inside the town hall's basement. But there are dead people littering the streets, some burned beyond recognition.

Arthas grits his teeth. He only feels a cold rage coursing through him—he can clearly recall that it was on _his_ orders that they stopped at First Light instead of hurrying on to Strahnbrad. Now "his" people have died, and it was all his fault.

Still, where was Uther and the army? They were supposed to be here by now. If they'd been here just as they were ordered, none of the people would have died.

Such and such doubts whirl in Arthas' mind.

Not too long after, a great tumult arrives—it's Uther, with a delegation of paladins. They look like they've also been in battle, faces covered in soot and all that. Nonetheless, a furious Arthas grabs Uther's front, demanding why they weren't there to defend Strahnbrad.

The other paladins are shocked, even outraged that this boy dared to speak to the Lightbringer this way, but Uther is Uther, and he slowly tells Arthas about the large orc army, probably the largest they'd faced since the war ended, that had occupied their attention. They didn't know about the small force that had sneaked past their lines to lay siege to the city until it was too late.

Uther now turns it around, gently admonishing Arthas, sensing "his anger" bubbling near the surface. "Vengeance cannot be a part of what we must do." While slaying the orcs is just, he must not give in to bloodlust, or he's no better than a berserker.

Uther then urges they leave a detachment of men to guard the city while they rejoin the fight. The orc army is far from vanquished. Arthas is eager to do so, and introduces Uther to Jaina.

Oh, guess what, we have the first

( **POV Switch)**

Jaina Proudmoore is seriously, honestly scared. What she sees is a side to Arthas that she's never seen before.

Minor call back to several flashbacks of their shared childhood, and how Jaina always knew Arthas to be rash and brave, but certainly never this much filled with hatred.

 _Is that the memory of flames reflected in his eyes? Or is it..?_

But no matter what, Arthas is her friend. And after all that he's done for her, she shall endeavor to do the same.

So she taps his shoulder. He looks at her—his glare is scary, but then his eyes soften.

 **(POV Switch)**

"It might get a little more dangerous from here on, Jaina," he says. "Are you sure you don't want to teleport someplace else?"

"No," she replies firmly. "I shall see this through the end."

Perhaps having overheard, Uther approaches, saying, "A mage could be quite useful in the coming battles, Arthas. But as ever we shall endeavor to protect you, Lady Proudmoore. Light knows I don't want Daelin to set a bounty on our heads."

"We shall never fail," Arthas says, a little harshly. "How can you even say that, Uther?"

"Peace, lad," Uther says, a little surprised by the other's outburst. "I was merely jesting. We shall never fail, of course, Though they have an army, they are still rabble to be swept aside."

Here follows some strategy talking, because remember Arthas' quest to completely eradicate the orcish presence? Uther surmises that it might be difficult, as orcs were notoriously resilient even under torture. Jaina points out that she can use certain scrying tools to scout areas, but that it was vulnerable to any countermeasures from the orcs.

Uther expounds on intelligence the Silver Hand had gathered regarding recent orcish movements. Their sporadic raiding has mostly been contained to the lands of Alterac, Stromgarde and Stormwind to the south. Lordaeron had been mostly blessed because of King Terenas' foresight in establishing the internment camps away from the kingdom's lands. The successful uprisings have thus not spread north, though this incident in Strahnbrad does change the situation.

Sound confusing? Well, it's all just background.

Arthas finally acknowledges that it is very difficult to accomplish his quest, but wants to first focus on removing the orc army as a threat.

The actual battle against the Blackrock orcs does not particularly showcase Arthas' tactics. He does display a dogged tenaciousness when he leads successful charges one after another into the orcish ranks. Jaina stays at the main camp, scrying the enemy as she suggested. Uther is content to defend the camp, having ceded ultimate authority of the army to Arthas.

There is a final confrontation against a "boss". A blademaster empowers himself by sacrificing humans in a bizarre ritual. (His skin turns red) Having witnessed this, Arthas gets real angry, but only ends up being knocked aside while the blademaster goes ham on his men.

Eventually, only Arthas is left to duel the orc, and it appears to be a losing battle. Eventually, Arthas, in a moment of epiphany and customary MC table-turning (coincidentally recalling Jaina's face) calls on his connection to the Light, which casts [Resurrect] and [Divine Shield] on everyone. Even the slain villagers return. This breaks the ritual, and the blademaster is "depowered". Arthas watches as the Light-imbued returnees knock out and restrain the orc on his orders.

It's a bit anti-climactic, but does get Arthas what he needs: an orc prisoner.

The battle for Strahnbrad ends. There is a heartwarming moment where the returned villagers are reunited with family.

Then the other paladins, having sensed the power Arthas summoned, stand in awe of the prince. Uther is naturally very approving, congratulating him for tapping into the mysterious powers of the light, as a true paladin. Arthas' resurrected men thank him profusely for saving their lives.

Jaina is the only one who breaks into speculations on the mysterious Light magic that breaks all the rules. Though, she does do it in her customary endearing manner.

Well, wait a minute, this arc ain't over. The blademaster was good, but he wasn't the "last boss" of this "arc". He's an ascended grunt at best.

So two days later and they still haven't gotten anything worthwhile from the orc. He's just too stubborn, or maybe he doesn't really know anything.

Arthas and Uther discuss their options. The only good interrogators are back at the capital, and the paladins don't dare dirty their hands with certain techniques for fear of losing the Light's favor.

Even Jaina is stumped, having not studied much mind-probing magic.

Then a voice comes in, saying, "Not to worry sissies, _I_ can take a peek in his mind."

Arthas turns. His eyes widen. "Teacher?" (Alternatively: " _Sensei?_ ")

* * *

 **Shurpuff: More to come.**


	3. Arc 2: Blackrockandroll3

That voice belongs to Girl # 2!

Girl # 2 get!

Uther beams. "Ah, greetings, Moira Bronzebeard. It's good to see you're safe."

...

...

...

What? You don't know who Moira Bronzebeard is? Oh, that's a relief.

Woah, woah, woah, you do? Okay, lower the pitchforks, douse those flames, and please let me explain?

Pretty please?

Thanks.

Moira Bronzebeard, daughter to the current king of Ironforge Magni Bronzebeard—is this series' loli figure. She's a somewhat mysterious priest, is old enough to have remembered the First War, and was Arthas' teacher back when he was a neophyte. Oh, and did I mention she's a loli?

Ow! Ow! Stop poking me!

It's just that in this setting, like the orcs mentioned last chapter, the dwarves have been envisioned into something completely different. The males are the standard stout, bearded fare, almost lifted directly from Tolkien-esque influences.

The females, on the other hand, practically look like young nymphs beside their counterparts. So much so that the Japanese creator has to append "These characters are over 18 years old" to the work. This is painstakingly justified all the time within the story, the other races even not finding it odd they look like they belong to elementary school. A minor detail is in adding breasts to them, so they look more like "oppai lolis".

So Moira Bronzebeard is perfectly legal—

Ow!

... She's got a modest bustsize (at least relative to her peers—

Ow!

... And she lords over Arthas like she's his homeroom teacher (which she technically is)

Ow!

Hey, c'mon, there does need to be a loli somewhere aye? And may I add that I also have strong reservations to objectifying the underaged like this, so it's not that I made the female dwarves lolis because I like lolis.

What? Gnomes? What are those...?

Anyway, what's done is done. It's final. Set in stone. She's a female dwarf, a rare sight in even World of Warcraft, and a priest at that, which is double rare (As my uncle tells me).

So. Any other objections?

...

What? Why Moira? Well, I don't really have a lot of prominent dwarves to draw on. More specifically, there ain't a lot of prominent _female_ dwarves, imagine that. With Moira I don't need to create an OC out of thin air. I do need to tweak her story a bit, but hey, this is AU from the get go.

Plus, this gets her out of that icky mind control mess by Thaurissan and right into Arthas' arms. Ow! _What?_ She's perfectly legal! She's the daughter of a pretty decent Mountain King! And she's a priest, which Arthas could use right about now. Even if he _is_ a paladin.

"Greetings to ye, sir Lightbringer." She nods to the man. Then she nods at Arthas. "Arthas, dear."

Arthas makes a noncommittal noise. It's apparent he's not really comfortable with Moira. He's got memories of her as a very strict instructor, being one of the few priests in the Order who've endured through the harshest trials. He doesn't exactly know what those trials were, though.

She's also prone to teasing him sometimes, which means he's on guard around her even now.

"And this must be young Jaina Proudmoore. Hello, lass."

"Hello, milady," Jaina replies. Her manner is stiff, polite.

Moira snorts. "None o' that 'milady' crap. Though I am partial to 'master'." She wags a brow in Arthas' directions.

"Moira," booms a voice outside the tent. "We're ought to go ahead to the tavern. You coming?"

"No!" she shouts back. "My party," she explains, addressing Uther. "Not repirmanding them, Lord Uther? They said they're off to a tavern."

(It's not really apparent, but if dwarves had voice actors, they'd all speak Kansai.)

Uther shakes his head. "All things in moderation. As long as they don't make a fool of themselves, or start needless conflict." Arthas knows that the paladins had long argued about the degree to which they drank liquor: most dwarves, for example, swore to leave the Order if they were denied; while others rigorously cried for abstinence. Therefore no clear tenet was established, as long as the drink did not drive a brother to unworthy behavior.

For himself, Arthas drank little, if at all.

"Now then," Moira says, her eyes sweeping to the kneeling blademaster. "I hear ye got a problem with this stubborn one? Well, let's see about that."

Arthas can tell Uther slightly disapproves, but allows Moira to do her work. He remembers rumors of Moira disagreeing with the Lightbringer on certain parts of dogma. Arthas doesn't really understand the theology, being more keen to battle more than arguing about the Light.

Moira casts [Mind Control], though no one in the room knows about that except Moira. She just explains that she's just charmed him with a spell, which makes him spill info about the hidden orc enclaves.

The information is not that impressive. The orcs have apparently split into "Clans" spreading throughout the southern lands. And even within the Blackrock Clan, this blademaster's army was only the vanguard, in preparation for a raid on Dalaran. (At the mention of the city, Jaina starts.)

"Foolish, to waste a vanguard on attacking a town such as this," remarks Uther. "Did they think us weak, to not defend our own?" Arthas thinks in his mind that orcs having a modicum of thought would be a miracle in itself.

Arthas is disappointed that the blademaster knows nothing else about his remaining comrades. Apparently, the orcs keep moving around in secret, never really massing until an attack like this. They probably already knew they'd crushed this army, and were perhaps fleeing like rats.

Or maybe they were regrouping north, to lead an attack on the capital itself.

Which is a problem, because Arthas knows much of Lordaeron's forces are tied up patrolling the realm amidst rumors of plague and disease.

Uther agrees to send a messenger to the capital regarding the information; while Jaina excuses herself to her tent to start a long-distance communication with Dalaran.

This leaves Arthas and Moira alone.

Arthas can't help but feel a bit self-conscious about the way Moira talks to him. She gets in his space, elbows him (and being a dwarf there's only one place that elbow goes... what's with the look? It's his belly! It's painful, that's why he don't like it. What? Dwarves aren't _that_ short.), pokes him, etc., like she doesn't know anything about propriety. Especially between two royals. Except Arthas is pretty sure she knows—but just chooses not to.

And he's very confused.

"So I hear you did some very grand magic just now," Moira says, referring to Arthas casting [Resurrect] so easily when he's still got a hard time casting [Holy Light], a standard art all paladins know. She pinches his cheek. "Teacher is very proud."

Arthas scowls. "It's not really that impressive. I don't think I can do it again."

"The Light works in mysterious ways," Moira says sagely, nodding to herself. "Still, it does show that there's little doubt now you're a paladin. Still a little ways off from old Uther, of course, but that guy's a real monster when it comes to the Light."

"Thanks," Arthas says, though he doesn't really know how to take that compliment.

Perhaps sensing his mood, Moira smirks. She slaps him in the back, saying, "Oh, lighten up, prince. A frown's just going to scare away all the women."

"I don't need any of that," he grumbles. For some reason, she howls with laughter, like she's a barmaid and someone cracked a joke.

Several days pass while Arthas oversees the repairs to the city and the many burials for the fallen. It turns out that some of his men had died. It causes a conflicted feeling in him—if they had come with him they might have been resurrected, but that wouldn't have been a guarantee.

He witnesses the contrast between Jaina and Moira. The mage actively looks for better methods of repairing the city inside the camp, while Moira is more focused on conversing with the townsfolk, even delivering sermons to them.

There is a minor bit of drama with the decision to execute the blademaster. As the King's representative, Arthas can pardon the orc, but obviously he does not.

While a paladin reads the order to the doomed orc, the orc laughs. "' _In the name of justice_?' Don't delude yourselves, human. This is slaughter, pure and base. Your kind coat it in your vaunted 'Light', gird it in the trappings of 'justice', as if it would wash your hands of the crime; our people are more honest, at least: we execute the weak, the traitor, the mad, that we may preserve the honor of our race. And yet..." he glares at Uther in particular. "The time will come when fire will rain from the sky... when the world's true masters shall return... And when that time comes, human, how far can your 'justice' lead you?"

The deed is done, and Arthas is privately disturbed by the orc's last speech, particularly about the dire warnings of the "true masters". Uther just says that it is just more of the "orcs' rhetoric". Moira dismisses it as the ravings of a madman, while Jaina offers nothing and is pensive.

News comes confirming the information from the blademaster. Accordingly, the roads surrounding the capital have been bolstered with scouts, while parts of the army deployed to the northern villages are pulled back in case of a raid. The scryers of Dalaran have nothing to report from their observations of the surrounding region, their attention being more on the plague.

"News of the plague is... troubling," Uther says. "There have been unconfirmed reports of entire villages going silent, with all its residents disappeared without a trace."

"Perhaps the orcs are abducting them," says Arthas. "For some sinister ritual, perhaps, as they did here?"

"That may be so," says Uther. "Or it could be some other, nefarious force. And that is precisely why we must not delay. We must aid Lady Jaina's quest." Jaina had been sent by her superiors in the Kirin Tor to investigate the plague when she'd met with Arthas. They'd frowned upon her delaying this long.

Arthas is present during that long-distance communication, where an elven mage wonders why Jaina had to be sidetracked by Strahnbrad. Arthas interjects, she was very helpful in the defense, to which the mage glibly replies that more lives might perhaps be lost from her negligence than the "little incident".

Arthas _explodes_ , demanding the elf's name. Uther has to restrain him from punching the mage's astral projection while the elf suavely gives his name as Kael'thas Sunstrider, crown prince of Quel'thalas.

Yeah. _That_ Kael'thas.

Eventually, it is agreed that Arthas and a small group shall accompany Jaina, while Uther scours the area for orcs. If the plague has some connection to the orcs, Arthas will have followed his father's request. If they're not, Arthas still helps his kingdom by finding the root of the plague.

Privately, Arthas fumes, his target that "pumped-up elf". Jaina asks him to please refrain from similar outbursts—"Prince Kael" is influential in both Quel'thalas and Dalaran, and antagonizing him would only be bad for Lordaeron.

Arthas, of course, doesn't care. He explains that it's not just about his beef with the elf, it's how he treated her; her, the "rare prodigy" no humans have produced in generations. She can't just take that shit lying down. (well, that's roughly what he tells Jaina)

Jaina is of course thankful for the pep talk. She does want to succeed in her mission, and on her own terms. She can finally prove that she's not just about the books. She can be the leader her father expects her to be, one to match people like Arthas, or Moira.

Moira, who overhears, laughs, and jokingly points out Arthas' failings. Then she derides her own—the dwarven princess who went against her father's will to travel the lands.

"The Bookworm Princess"

"The Wandering Dwarf"

"The Angry Prince"

"A nice little group, eh?" says Moira.

Moira confirms that indeed she is coming with Jaina and Arthas. She had come north initially to help her fellow priests administer aid to plague victims—now that she knows there may be some sinister agent behind it, she can't just turn a blind eye.

They set off a day later, bound for the distant city of Hearthglen.

* * *

 **Shurpuff says: More to come. Comments welcome!**


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